Sailing vakas in the Cook Islands
About this Adventure
Fact File:
Duration: Customised.
Price: Customised.
Explore the Cook Islands in traditional vessels.
Vakas were the main vessels of the indigenous South Sea Islanders and were used for everything from small coastal vessels to the ships they used to travel the huge distances between islands when they were colonising the South Pacific. Now in the Cook Islands, thanks to those who want to preserve the traditional craft, you can travel around the islands on a wide-range of these vessels.
Firstly lets deal with the ocean-going craft, seven faithful replicas of the traditional catamaran sailing vakas. These are now dispersed through the region but one is to be found in Rarotonga and the owner takes guests out on tours voyages, it’s incredibly faithful and therefore not luxurious but an incredible experience, bunks are hammocks in the hull with your belongings in a net. Travelling this way gives a newfound respect for the intrepid adventurers who sailed these in search of new lands.
The second type of vessel is a V6 canoe (v stands for vaka, and 6 is the number of rowers on board) these are part of the traditional sport of vaka racing. Teams practise intensely after work to compete on special occasions, they aren’t laid on for tourists, but if you contact the Cook Islands’ Voyaging Society they will see if there is space in a boat. It really is an experience worth doing, it is hard work, but the speed generated by a good crew is incredible, amazingly some motorboats struggle to keep up.
The Cook Islands’ Voyaging Society is the first port of call for all vaka-based adventures.
